ILUVPARIS

In early November we are staying in London for a few days then venturing to the Cotswolds for 4 nights. I was hoping someone might be able to tell me if there's a rail station anywhere in the Cotswolds that also has car rental companies where I might be able to drop off our rental car and hop the train to London. Looks like some rental car locations are in the city center but, not necessarily attached to a rail station. I was just trying to keep this simple. If it doesn't exist, we'll just drive back to Heathrow or, maybe Birmingham since our next destination after the Cotswolds is Paris.

Thanks in advance!

ILP

MmePerdu

Check out Cheltenham. It's the only city I've done what you're asking but it's been a while. In Bath, at the south end of the Cotswolds, I needed a taxi to get to the station from the rental place but it wasn't far.

Others here are familiar with rental services in Oxford, Chipping Campden and Moreton-in-Marsh and I'm sure will fill you in on those (where I haven't gotten or returned cars).

janisj

There are no national rental agencies in any of the Cotswold villages. You'd either have to go east to Cheltenham, north to Stratford, or into Oxford.

Are you flying to Paris or taking the Eurostar? Easiest is actually to drive to Heathrow and drop it before flying to Paris (or traveling in from LHR to St Pancras for the train). Or at Birmingham airport if you can fly from there. Or at Bristol airport . . .

ILUVPARIS

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know. We haven't booked our train or flight to Paris yet, so we have flexibility. Given that Birmingham is only an hour away from where we may stay, it seems like a good solution and the cost is relatively cheap for a one way flight ($70ish per person). Are Bristol and Birmingham roughly about the same size airport?

janisj

Birmingham is the busier airport -- but both are full service.

Havana128

Birmingham airport is much bigger but as has been said they provide everything you need so go with price and convenience.

flanneruk

Birmingham, Bristol, Heathrow and Southampton airports are all seen as the "local" airport by people somewhere in the Cotswolds, and are all better places to dump a car for an onward journey to Paris than any railway station.

In practice, though, flights to Paris (as opposed to the misleadingly - no, lyingly - labelled "Paris Beauvais" airport) are usually significantly cheaper from Heathrow, and are far more frequent from Heathrow and Birmingham than from Southampton or Bristol.

Leaving a car at Bham isn't massively less hassle than at Heathrow, and it's worth checking all four to get the best deal both in price and in convenience. Our experience is that Heathrow usually wins.

julia_t

Cirencester has Enterprise car rental; it's a short taxi ride to Kemble station. Though I believe they will meet you there for an extra charge.

http://www.enterprise.co.uk/car_rent...r=U653&bid=004

There's also 1st Call in Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud. All with stations on the line to London Paddington.

http://www.1stcallautorentals.co.uk/